The 15th Chattajack and my first! 31 Miles through the Tennessee River Gorge in the Volunteer State. Starting in the Eastern Time Zone at Market Street Bridge and finishing in the Central Time Zone at Hale's Bar Dam. 753 participants (ages 15-78), representing 39 states, DC, Puerto Rico and six countries. The first of five years to earn my belt in 2031.

Temps were brisk as the sun ascended but would rise quickly thereafter as the weather pattern had played out similiarly all week. Upon arriving at Ross's Landing on the morning of, I could feel myself drawn to the electric energy field where all gathered were estactic about the race around the staging area. Everyone exuded eageress and excitement to get going on the long journey ahead. Final preparations were underway, for the time had come. I bestowed words of encouragement on the beaming faces of my friends and wished them all the best on their paddle. Before we knew it, the National Anthem was being played on a banjo with a Tennessee twist across the steps which were teeming with paddlers of all ages and crafts. The emaculate emcee got us all rocking and ready to go. SUPs were in the first heat and I rushed to the restroom before getting out on the water. I'm not a super competitive paddler and barely had any time to train due to work obligations after the USA SUP National Championships. Despite this, I knew I was up for the challenge, considering I had delved more into distance and developed my mental toughness throughout the year. Also, knowing your hydration and nutrition needs are met goes a long way towards having a successful paddle.

There was an extended wait time while everyone launched from the dock and paddled upriver to the bridge. A quick warm-up set me straight and I chose a spot near the middle of the pack where I felt the flow the fastest. It was a three minute countdown with a rolling start approaching the bridge behind the official boat. Music was in the air as the signal to go approached. And we were off! I had no real plan going in, except to know the course and run my own race. I prefered to challenge myself and decided to make the trip without drafting. Not what I would advise others to do, just personal preference to see how much I could push my abilities. The first 15 miles came relatively easy, over the next 7 I exerted a little extra effort and the last 9 were all mental. Taking the tack of most paddlers proved to best for me in navigating my way through the twists and turns of the river. The only misjudgement I made was drinking half of my water supply too quickly with resulted in a kneel-down three times for some relief in the first 15 miles. Still there was enough to get me through the rest of the way.

At one point, it seemed like the end would never come, but then I refocused and concentrated on my stroke. Before too long, the dam in the distance grew larger and the finish arch came into view. I was looking forward to mile 31, however the length increased to 32 miles without the ability to cut some corners due to the submerged aquatic vegetation. The last mile seemed like an eternity but finally passing through the arch felt incredible. I sat down for the cool down one mile paddle to the River Gorge Ranch take-out area and chatted up some others along the way. A finisher medal was bestowed upon us all after disembarking our craft. At the camp there, we all enjoyed bananas, smoothie packs and chocolate milk to aid in recovery. I basked in the post-race glow with others I knew, congratulating them in kind and all I can say is...whew.